“The 143-room hotel, which opened in 2004, partnered with Ruckus Wireless nearly a decade ago to install 30 Wi-Fi access points for its guests. Ten years later and with the growing use of mobile and smart devices, upgrading the hotel’s wireless bandwidth [is seen as] critical,” writes Shea.

“The property is now equipped with 160 Ruckus access points, one in each room, as well as others across the property. The access points installed under the desk in each guest room also contain an IoT module with a unique MAC (Media Access Control) address.”

As Scott Rhodes, director of engineering at Royal Park Hotel notes, Ruckus’ IoT Suite has enabled the Royal Park Hotel to more easily upgrade the property’s conventional fob locks to Assa Abloy’s connected smart locks.

“We had the card insertion piece, then we went to the fob. And, at the time, I was really curious — you could see the opportunity on the horizon: the app for the phone. Yet, the technology just wasn’t there yet. Six months ago, the opportunity to upgrade to smart locks arose,” Rhodes tells TechTarget. “Now, after they make a reservation, the guest’s phone or smart device can access their room once they hit the site in the period of time the reservation’s good for. Thanks to the connected locks, management can monitor when doors are open or closed, locked or unlocked.”

In addition to convenience, the smart locks, which run on Assa Abloy’s Visionline software system, provide increased security for guests. For example, the smart lock automatically notifies management if an intruder attempts to open a door lock with an unauthorized device. The mobile ‘key’ on the intruder’s app is subsequently deactivated, while the system alerts management and pinpoints the precise location of the intruder.

Looking beyond guest security, the Royal Park Hotel is beta testing TraknProtect’s safety buttons to ensure staff safety and comply with AHLA’s 5-Star Promise. Indeed, BLE beacons affixed to staff lanyards signal Ruckus’ IoT Suite when pushed and notify management of an employee’s exact location. According to Rhodes, the hotel is also using TraknProtect for IoT asset tracking, with beacons attached to carts, trays and other hotel equipment, such as rollaway beds. IoT asset tracking will help manage inventory, as well as notify staff when items, such as food carts or bed trays, should be picked up, or when assets have left the property.

In the future, Rhodes hopes to connect the hotel’s lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) via the IoT Suite – adding smart thermometers to monitor room temperatures.

“The ability to control [lights and HVAC systems], or just see what’s going on in the rooms, lets you be a little more aware of your carbon footprint,” he concludes.